MAC goes all virtual with lipstick try-on for shoppers

In a bid to retain the original shopping experience, MAC Cosmetics and Isobar, the digital agency from the house of dentsu India, have partnered with YouTube, to launch an in-store try-on feature using AR technology. The YouTube ad allows viewers to try on 13 bestseller lipsticks while watching the video through one’s mobile screen. The core target audience for this AR-powered campaign are the beauty enthusiasts on the internet and those who are engaged in make-up related conversations on Google.  

YouTube has played the role of catalyst by bridging the gap between MAC and its customers. On an average, the user has spent about 21.1s active time and has tested minimum three shades per AR session.  

Some additional key highlights of the campaign:  

• 28% AR Forward Activation Rate 
• 5.8M Unique Reach 
• 85% Live AR Activation Rate 
• 1541 AR Sessions 
• 21.1s Average engagement time 

Commenting on the campaign, Rohan Vaziralli, General Manager, Estee Lauder Companies India said, "With the pandemic radically affecting in-store visits and trials, we have aimed to bring make-up trials to our fans at their doorstep. The innovative and interactive AR technology by YouTube has allowed potential customers to virtually try before they buy and interact with our brand remotely. This has resulted in offering the best-in-class experience driving large scale engagement with the brand."  

Rahul Vengalil, Managing Partner, Isobar India added, “At Isobar India, we are proud to launch innovations that solve a brand’s problem, that are unique enough to create a buzz and those that are first in the industry. The success of this campaign only concludes that if innovation is born from a real consumer problem, it can resonate with them like nothing else. This is a fine example of Isobar’s ability to be a creative experience agency that effectively delivers results.” 

Priyanka Shah, AVP Media, Isobar India commented, "We, at Isobar, are extremely excited to handhold brands and give them a taste of how adopting emerging technologies can deliver a positive impact for brands. Due to the pandemic scenario, MAC was facing challenges to drive footfalls at the store, and hence we turned this challenge into an opportunity and collaborated with YouTube to drive virtual try-on on their platform. This started with an experiment for a month, and the success of the campaign translated it to an always-on activity to boost consumer engagements via YouTube month on month." 

Credits: 

Client: 

Rohan Vaziralli – General Manager 

Karen Thompson – Brand Manager, MAC Cosmetics 

Anaa Peshimam – Digital and Commerce Manage 

Nirali Ghatalia – Paid and Owned Manager 

Isobar: 

Rahul Vengalil- Managing Partner 

Priyanka Shah -AVP Media 

Jay Rawal -Senior Manager Media 

Sameer Chauhan -Exec Ad Ops Media 

Dhawal Prajapati -Associate Director Buying 

Kanika Neigi -Group Head Buying